


Fortunate Son

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Gen, Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 03:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4247163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night after Ben wakes up from his de-harnessing, Tom doesn't sleep.  He wants to be there for Ben in case he's having nightmares about what happened. {Between 1x05 and 1x06}</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fortunate Son

            Dad comes back and sits by his bedside after he’s supposed to be asleep, after he sent Matt and Hal to sleep.  Ben pretends to be asleep, enjoying the feeling of Dad’s hand in his hair.  His brain briefly flicks over to a longer, scalier, _alien_ hand in his hair.  But no, he’s back with Dad now.  It’s okay.  Ben’s okay.

            He realizes he wants more physical contact, so he just shifts so his head is laying in Dad’s lap.  It’s not comfortable, but nothing is comfortable for his body right now.

            Dad jumps. 

            “Sorry,” Ben mutters. 

            “Did I wake you up?  I should let you rest,” Dad says, starting to get up.

            Ben clings to him.  “Stay.”

            “Okay, okay,” Dad says, sitting back down.  “I’ll stay as long as you need.”

            “Why aren’t you asleep?” Ben asks.  

            “I missed you when you were gone,” Dad says, “so I wanted to come back and sit with you.  And I know you used to have nightmares when you were a kid, and after what happened…”

            “You thought I might have them again,” Ben says, “and you wanted to be here if I was scared.”  Like always.

            “Are you?” Dad asks.

            Ben swallows.  “I haven’t been able to sleep.”

            Dad sighs.  “I’m sorry I let you get taken.  I’m sorry that this is happening to you.”

            “It’s okay, Dad.  It’s not your fault, and you got me back,” Ben says. 

            “I’m so glad we did,” Dad says, voice cracking. 

            Ben looks up to see Dad crying in the dim light, and he sits up.  “I’m okay, Dad.  I’m going to be okay now.”

            “It was just…” Dad says, shaking his head.

            Ben pats the space next to him, and when Dad slides next to him, Ben hugs him tightly.  “It was what?”

            “It was one of the most difficult times of my life,” Dad says, leaning against Ben and hugging him back.  “I didn’t know where you were, if you were even still alive, and even once I knew you were alive, I didn’t know what they had done to you.  I might have been able to get your body back, but you could have still been lost if we couldn’t get the harness off.  It’s just… such a relief to have you back and to know that you’re you again.  I missed you so much.”

            Ben tamps down on the thoughts that he doesn’t feel sure that he’s entirely himself again.  Dad has already been through so much because of him- and because he lost Mom- that Ben doesn’t want to add more onto his plate.  Especially since, somehow, Dad seems to be second in command.  It’s weird and it doesn’t fit in with the Dad that Ben knows, so it’s got to be causing him stress. 

Ben hates adding to his Dad’s stress.  That’s not what he does.  He keeps Dad safe, not like Matt and Hal, who sometimes seem hell bent on stressing Dad out. 

“I missed you too, Dad,” Ben says.  “Or, I guess I would have if I had been conscious of what was happening.  I was glad you were there when I woke up.” 

“I love you, Ben.  I know that I’ve told you that before, but it’s really important to me that you know how important you are to me,” Dad says. 

“I know, Dad,” Ben says.  “I really do, and you’re important to me, too.” 

Dad pulls back and smiles at him, and Ben gets a sinking feeling as he thinks about how weird he feels.  Dad would want to know- Dad always wants to know what’s going on with him.  But he can’t know, not yet, not when Dad has just gotten him back.


End file.
